What a great reminder that Jesus is sitting on the throne. He is victorious over death. He makes all things new. He makes us new! We are the children of God if we accept the free gift of salvation. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Today, Crescent City Rock begins a new phase in it’s journey. Today, we pray for changed lives. Please join us in this prayer!

Myradel Sibley
Crescent City Rock Core Group Member

Tomorrow is a BIG day in the life of our new church Crescent City Rock. Because I’m crazy busy, I’ll make this short. Everyone on our leadership team has been working very, very hard. Lots of people have been praying across New Orleans and America. Many people and churches have given money. And I have two things to say about all that effort. First, thank you! So many people have been awesome in your support. Please know our church is here for you too in any way we can help you.

Second, you have made a difference in lives of people that will last forever… for eternity. God tells us this promise from his Word in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

I love this promise from God. God tells us that we should always be pressing on, standing firm, without anything moving us or stopping us from building God’s Kingdom in the lives of people. And if we do God’s work with faith in Him, then we are promised that our efforts are not wasted. God will work in the lives of people. Every prayer we made, every invitation we gave, every kind word of encouragement we made to people to seek the Lord will will make a difference in the lives of people. Sometimes it is a small difference, but still an eternal impact in the chain of events of God’s work in someone’s life.

So we can already start celebrating before tomorrow comes… because we all know that all we have done in our praying, giving and reaching will make a difference. So we praise God for all the ways He has and will work tomorrow at our first worship service, 10:45 am at the YMCA as a new church.

We’re Excited!
Jim Louviere
Crescent City Rock Core Group Member

Producing fruit does not consist of our going out and making our own way. We many times have the tendency to tear off into the world with every intention of making an impact. However, we make ourselves the least productive when we take on such ambitious goals. Ambition tends to get in the way of our truly bearing fruit, because the bearing of fruit lies in remaining connected to the One who makes the fruit grow. We want to separate ourselves from the pack by showing everyone how unique we are, but I think that our true success lies in abiding in the love of Christ, and looking so much like Christ that no one can tell the difference. Our hope for this weekend is that the leadership of this church will do just that.

Join us in praying for the November 1 worship gathering at the East Jefferson YMCA. It is gonna rock!

Abiding in the love of Christ,

Wade Patterson

Crescent City Rock Core Member

I have a confession to make; I stopped watching the Saints game after the 1st quarter this past Sunday. Sometimes when the Saints and LSU are playing they drive me crazy! I’ve grown up watching the Saints, and I (like a lot of people) can’t believe the new Saints. So I’m watching the game Sunday, and they are “getting it handed” to them, and I’m thinking… “Oh boy, SOS” (Same Old Saints). I told my son, let’s go see a movie. So Josh and I saw Astor Boy at the Clearview Mall. Good flick actually with sermon material. So we get out of the movie, and my wife Michele is calling, “You’re not going to believe the game! The Saints are winning!” I’m like, “what”! Other men are coming out of the movie who also escaped the game with their kids are in disbelief too. I get down stairs from the movie and everyone in the mall is watching the game at the WOW chicken wings place. I saw the interception return for a touchdown by the Saints, and I’m high-fiven’ it with the mall cop next to me and everyone in the mall is going crazy like we’re all pals. Those crazy Saints are the real deal. You can bet I’m not be leaving the game again!

You know, the Christians who make up the core starting group and leadership team believe Jesus is the real deal and we are going-for-it too! We’re not leaving the game of changing the world with the Gospel or sitting on the side lines complaining or giving up. I know as we all look at our world, our nation and our beloved city New Orleans… we are behind in the game. A lot of people are “getting it handed” to them with all kinds of problems in life. I know it is hard to see that our world can change because our problems and the world’s problems are so big, but I personally know for a fact that Jesus can change me for the better (for He has in countless ways with my sins and pain), and I know that every time someone begins a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ… God changes them. After all, Jesus conquered death so everything else is downhill and no problem for God!

Jesus said this in John 10:10 of the Bible, and I love the way the Message puts it: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

We, like other Christians and Churches, are going to gladly obey Jesus command of taking his Good New to our city and world… that He has removed the separation between God and man by taking away our sins on the Cross. We can know God in a relationship and the “better life” than what we even think is possible.

Pray in four day, Sunday, Nov. 1st at our “Tailgate Kick-Off” many will find out how amazing Jesus is, and come how they too can have a come-from- behind victory with Jesus no matter how big are their problems.

Many thanks to all the people and churches who have been praying for us and helped financially to bring the Good News of Jesus in our new church plant.

Jim Louviere
Crescent City Rock Core Member

A single statement once changed my entire perspective on world mission strategic planning. K.P. Yohannan, the founder of Gospel for Asia, often remarks that we should avoid asking ourselves this question: “How are we going to change the world?”

Instead, he says, we should be asking, “How is the world going to be changed?”

American mission philosophy and strategy has suffered from the onset from a destructive attitude that has been so ingrained in our thinking that it has gone unnoticed: the attitude of missionary paternalism. Simply stated, it’s the assumption that the responsibility of winning the world for Christ has been given to us, and that, since we have historically had the greatest level of mission success, then we are the ones who should be calling the shots. This attitude is especially prevalent when we are the ones holding the purse strings.

However, as a result of a declining economy in the U.S., most people are tightening their financial belts these days, forcing many American missions organizations to do the same. This forced reevaluation is the perfect opportunity for us to begin operating according to a more Biblical model of world missions giving.

And here’s the good news: There is a Biblical model for reaching the world in a more effective and more efficient manner. I call it “Cooperation in World Missions.”

In 2 Cor 8, the Apostle Paul lays out a blueprint for effective – and efficient – church work and missions giving. He bases it on ability, not calling. Let’s review a few of his statements:

“ v 1-4 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. v 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. v 12-14 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.”

For the sake of brevity and full impact, let me ask a couple of simple questions:
1. Does Paul attribute – to either the giver or the receiver – ownership of the work?
2. Does Paul assign – to either the giver or the receiver – authority over the work?

The obvious answer is “NO!” to both questions. And why not? Because it is the Sovereign who owns the work, and it is only He who has authority over it.

In the current world economy, it is no secret that the financial resources are in the hands of Christians in the West. I also make the argument on our website (http://www.wordwinds.org/index.php?getpage=whynative) that our brothers and sisters overseas are in the best God-given position to know what methods and strategies are best employed to reach the people in their own nations. What we have done, however, and what we continue to do, is to refuse to send our money overseas without sending our people with it. We continue to insist in controlling the work in which we invest our financial resources.

So while we’re rethinking our mission budgets, consider this: If God has given us the financial means to reach the world and has in turn given our overseas brothers and sisters the manpower to reach the world, shouldn’t we be cooperating with them by enabling them financially to reach their fellow countrymen? Yes! And let’s do it without dictating to them how the money must be spent.

Or, as Paul puts it, (v 11) Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

Just a thought from one young man who had his entire missionary perspective turned upside down by a single statement.

Jarrette Allen
Crescent City Rock

The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.
Proverbs 20:5 NIV

Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
Proverbs 20:5 NLT

I am studying at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to be a counselor. As a counseling student Proverbs 20:5 has been a theme verse for me. A counselor’s purpose is to get to the heart of a person and take them on a journey of discovery and healing, drawing out from the deep waters of their heart what is really going on with them. It is not a counselor’s job necessarily to determine what a person should do and what is best for them, but rather to guide them in the process of discovering that for themselves.

I feel this applies in reaching the lost of our community. Our struggle is not leading a person to the Lord, but helping them identify from within the need and hunger they have for Him. That is the unbeliever’s struggle with God. We know that Christ is the answer and knowing Him is the best thing that can happen to a person. A relationship with our Creator is life changing and beyond wonderful. We were made for a relationship with the Lord and I know that in experiencing this relationship we want the lost to experience the same.

In reaching people for Christ I believe it begins with us being people of understanding. It begins with listening to people. Hearing their hearts, not dictating their lives, what they should and should not do. I learned from Pastor Jim many years ago that we must earn the right to speak into people’s lives, and that begins with listening and understanding. In being people of understanding we must look at the context of a person’s life, their background and experiences in ministering to them. In ministering, we determine to help draw out a person’s understanding of their need for God. Choosing Christ and growing in a relationship with Him is a path we can introduce people to and we can assist them in their growth, but we do not determine their steps. Pray many make that step of faith to Jesus this Sunday, Nov 1st, 10:45 am at the Metairie YMCA.

Tricia Breiter
Crescent City Rock Core Member

Before I became Born Again, I thought that all churches were out of touch with today’s problems and issues. I thought that they were full of perfect people who judged others who couldn’t keep up with their standards. I wanted a relationship with Jesus, but I didn’t think I would fit in at a church because I was a sinner and therefore not worthy. I also thought that people in church wouldn’t “get” me; they wouldn’t know or understand what I had been through — they would only see our differences, and not what we have in common.

Things changed when I started reading the bible. All of my questions were answered. God’s Word told me that I am one of His children and that I am loved and forgiven just as I am. Through God’s grace, He sent His only Son Jesus to live amongst us, to live, to suffer, to be tempted – and to pay the penalty for our sins. I don’t have to earn this forgiveness — I couldn’t if I tried. It is God’s gift to us, given freely out of love. And further, I found that people in churches were sinners just like me. Instead of judgment and condemnation, I found celebration and worship of our God who loves us more than we can ever understand. This is very exciting!

Those who don’t know God probably think that His word is not relevant to this modern age. They may think that He does not or will not speak to them. But He speaks to all of us, and what He tells us applies to every part of our lives. One way He speaks to us is through the bible. Whatever we need to know is contained in scripture. For instance: God’s word disciplines: “I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word (Ps. 119:67); it teaches us: “Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark (Is. 8:20). God’s Word is strong: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Heb. 4:12); God’s Word comforts: “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble (Ps. 9:9).

God’s Word created our world and it has always existed and will live on forever. Further, God IS the Word; “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it (John 1:1-4).

Scripture contains the answers for yesterday, for today, for hurts, for grief, for happiness and for sorrow. It is relevant to every part of life. Do you struggle with loneliness or addiction? Do you worry about finances or your future? Are you an imperfect human being (as we all are)? Is your life empty, does it lack purpose or joy? God’s Word can help us through all of these things. Life is not easy, but God has a solution for everything.

At Crescent City Rock we want to reveal the relevance of God’s Word to all us. Whether you have never opened a bible or are just learning how to read it, or whether you are a seminary student or a bible scholar, my prayer for CCR is that all of us will seek God’s Word together and learn how to apply it directly to every situation in our lives.

Dallas McGlinn
Crescent City Rock Core Member

This week while doing my quiet time I studied a verse from both Romans and 2 Timothy that focuses on Salvation and Discipleship. The first text comes from Romans 1:16-17; Romans 51 in which we read:

1:16-17: I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is God’s Power for Salvation for everyone who believes first to the Jew and the Greek. For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith ; just as it is written: The Righteous shall live by faith.

5:1:Therefore, the since we have been declared righteous by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, when we place our faith or belief in the Lord Jesus Christ we become right with God, and obtain forgiveness of sins which leads to Eternal life.

Then, after we become a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive forgiveness of sins we need to grow in our walk or journey with the Lord Jesus Christ in order to become a mature believer doing His Will. This is seen in 1 Timothy 4:15 in which we read:

4:15: Practice these things; be committed to them so, that your progress may be evident to all.

Thus, after becoming a believer, you need to progress in your walk with the Lord. And, at Crescent City Rock we s seek to lead people to a faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and secondly seek to help people progress in their walk with the Lord through small groups. We pray and hope that you will come to our first worship service on November 1 at 10:00am at the YMCA on Riverside Dr.

Gene Tullos
Crescent City Rock Core Member

One of my favorite songs is Undignifed by David Crowder

I will dance
I will sing
To be mad
For my King
Nothing Lord
Is hindering
This passion in my soul

Chorus:
And I’ll become
Even more undignified than this
Some may say
It’s foolishness
But I’ll become
Even more undignified than this
Leave my pride
By my side
And I’ll become
Even more undignified than this
Some may say
It’s foolishness
But I’ll become
Even more undignified than this
Than this!

This song became a part of my daily routine when I worked at Sivells Baptist Camp for three summers. When starting my first summer, I had no idea what I was going to be doing. Soon I learned…. cleaning toilets for summer campers. That was gross! I was mocked and told I could be making better money doing better things, but this song became my theme. As I would scrub toilets I would hum this song because I knew I was not just cleaning toilets for kids, I was cleaning toilets for Jesus! In my cleaning of a toilet, (and the rest of the bathroom) it gave campers, the ability to not be distracted with how gross the potty was right before heading into the service. Lets face it, people get distracted very easily these days and you would think that something so insignificant as a toilet would go unnoticed, but often we were told how much it meant by the counselors that our facilities were clean so they could focus on the kids and not the hygiene of the toilets.

God will call us to do some crazy things sometimes, and while we may not see the significance in it now, and we may not here on this earth, He is having us do it for a reason!

Today as we head out let us remember that we should be completely ready to be completely undignified for Christ’s work. As we walk around, lets remember that all it could take is one door hanger getting to one person, and that one person coming on Nov 1 and accepting Christ to make it all worth it.

Your sister in Christ,
Rachel Lanell Crosby
Michael’s blessed wife and Crescent City Rock Core Member

To which a younger, yet wiser pastor stood up and responded, “No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody.” I am reminded what Jesus said in Luke 11:13″ If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.”

So the question is do we desire our lives and our church to be monopolized by the Holy Spirit? A spiritual principle can be learned from this story of D.L Moody.That the degree of the fullness of the Spirit of God is in direct proportion to the intensity of our true desire for Him. That the reality of our spirit-filled life is that we can have as much of God as we truly want.

In the days approaching Nov. 1 and even beyond let us all seek in earnest to have that deeper, more intimate relationship with the Godhead. Let’s allow the Father, Son & Holy Spirit to monopolize our lives daily. In doing so we individually and collectively as Crescent City Rock can be empowered to do great things as God has called us to do in these last days!

Ron Ritter
Crescent City Rock Core Member